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Downing is unbelievably quick, under-rated pace wise. The guy can motor when he wants to! Downing might not have scored but I still think he's playing quite well, missing and scoring a chance isn't the difference between

'good and bad'...

I agree, Downing dosen't have athletic speed like a Gabby or Walker if you like but he is quite fast running with the ball.

I thought he was alright yesterday.

One thing he's been very good at this season (especially on the right) is making quick runs beyond the left back.

Just wish his finishing was a bit better, he could've dinked it over Kingston yesterday and I remember a similar chance away to Blackburn when he hit it straight at Robinson and another at Sunderland when he hit the post, all from making quick runs beyond the left back.

He could quite easily be on 10 league goals by now.

Makoun got closed down well by the Blackpool players yesterday so his passing was a bit more off. However look at the highlights and who nicked the ball off Adam in the build up to the first goal? Makoun. Who won thr ball for Downing's chance, Makoun again. So he still played a major impact in our two best chances of the game.

Really disappointed he's going to miss three games for us now, who was it on here a few pages back who said they wouldn't be surprised if he got sent off in one of his first few games given how he was tackling?

Very good first half, faded a bit second half which I just put down to him still adapting to the pace of the game here.

Didn't help that the logical thing to have done would've been to bring in fresh legs in the form of NRC to help him out and Houllier didn't do it.

How the fook are Malaga bottom?!

Got Pellegrini who's a good manager, signed Baptista and Demichels in this window and that Venezuelan lad Rondon upfront has been brilliant for them this season.

Plus they're loaded with all the arab money so I'm really struggling to understand why they're so bad.

Don't go there Carlos!

Good, hopefully he gets a brain transplant up there so he stops wasting his career, plays well for them and comes back fully focused for pre season training. There IS a good creativity player in there somewhere, we may need that when Young goes.

I wouldn't be adverse to playing Downing in the hole tbh.

He's reasonably pacey, has a decent long range shot on him and I reckon he could pick a final ball and slot back as a third central midfielder better than Young does.

His final ball was crap tonight.

Shame he's not a great one on one finisher either otherwise he'll be on double figures goal wise by now as he's good at making runs from beyond the full back when he plays on the right.

A very funny and inconsistant player.

Thought he struggled quite a bit against N'zgobia but again a centre half playing out of position.

Baker struggled quite a bit against N'zogbia.

He's not a left back either is he, centre half for the reserves?

He reminds me of Barry and seems to be playing in every position Barry was playing in his youth! Although long term I expect him to be at centre half.

What happened to him tonight? No idea what Baker looked like so spent about ten minutes trying to work out who it was untl someone told me!

How many players have played for us this season? Must be a record number of league debuts surely?

I thought he and NRC complemented each other well. Passed it nice and simply with some good forward balls at times.

Faded a bit when he got booked as obviously he didn't want to get sent off on his debut but yep promising first game.

He deserves a chance linking up with Bent.

On what possible basis does he deserve that chance ?

Why should the manager give a player whose put in ZERO effort thus far a chance ahead of any of the other squad players who HAVE put in effort ?

Pires?! :shock:

I'm resigned to this not working out tbh, under Houllier at least.

That said I'd only let him out on loan to another prem club where hopefully he'll get his hunger for the game back and if he wants to make a proper go of it, then good as we may need him when Young goes in the summer.

I've never seen him play to be honest so looking forward to seeing what we have got, I'm hoping for more of an Essien than a Djemba-Djemba

I can't recall the last player we signed who I'd never seen play, I mean I'd ever seen Salifou play! I can't actually think of a established, first team player that we've signed that I've not seen play previously.

Its quite exciting really.

Are you allergic to watching the champions league Trent?

Or the World cup?

Or African nations cup? :winkold:

Young will go in the summer for 12m so no need to sell Downing at all unless he wants to go back up north.

Clear he was rushed back against Spurs, amazed he started that game.

Yes, out of the cup game and league at SHA and home to Man. City.

Petrov wasn't happy, shook his head but nothing major.

The more amusing thing was he gave the armband to NRC who was then promptly subbed and also went off in a huff.

Well I'd pay up Pires contract up so that's one place free.

To me Ireland was starting to get into things slightly more before his latest exclusion. He was good when he came on against Arsenal, nearly scored against SHA and was one of the better players in the disgrace at Liverpool.

The football we played tonight was horrific, lump the ball to Heskey.

I've always said I'd rather see Ireland in the hole with Young back on the left, I believed we'd play better football as a result but I'd have done that for 5 games earlier on in the season.

Where is he then?

I know he hasn't been very good but **** me at least he has some football intelligence about him when you look at the "football" we played tonight.

That was garbage tonight even with 11 men.

I think he'll be sacked if we don't win at SHA tbh.

In fairness people he is an international with the U.S.A, has a couple of caps for them and he's also played in the Carling cup this season so it's not like he's a pub player we've just picked up off the street.

I think he's been decent, a sloppy back pass he nearly cost us a goal from apart, he coped well with Bale.

We need to somehow get Beye off our books and I wouldn't be adverse to moving Luke on in the summer and get a younger RB in like Onouha or Clyne to get that position a fresher look.

collins is pure shit, seriously amateur he has to be dropped. pure shit

He was the captain last night so with Dunney being banished seems to have been elevated into Houllier's mind as our number one centre half all of a sudden.

Not sure on that, I don't see him as a leader or organiser aswell.

He's short on pace, gets turned easily and should've cut out that cross for the first goal.

Must admit I'd like to see Clark and Cuellar as our CB partnership in the near future.

Where in my post did i iterate anything about Houllier being negative i merely stated that Houllier would not be playing with 2 strikers he didnt at home so why would he away in a cup game.... nice to see post on poster is as lively as ever and a forum class bracket forming where if you have a differing opinion to the rosy optimists the snobs simply slam it turn their noses up and "rise above it"

Well we played 4-4-2 last night and saw Spurs cut us apart routinely in the first half...

On the Fonz, I don't really get the feeling he's got the ruthless, killer instinct to be a 15 goal a season striker in the league.

Gabby has when fit and on form. The Fonz will chip in with goals but not enough really.

I think Downing in the hole personally would be interesting, has a decent shot and would have two holding midfielders behind him to do the tackling.

Or Ireland...